A method includes communicatively coupling a user device to a field device in an industrial control system in order to configure and provision the field device. The method also includes selecting an operating mode of the user device. The method further includes, in response to selecting a first operating mode, providing configuration data from the user device to the field device in order to configure the field device. In addition, the method includes, in response to selecting a second operating mode, providing provisioning data from the user device to the field device in order to provision the field device onto a wireless network. Providing the configuration data and the provisioning data could include communicating the provisioning data and the configuration data to the field device through an out-of-band communication interface. The out-of-band communication interface may include a direct wired interface or infrared interface.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: communicatively coupling a user device to a field device in an industrial control system to configure and provision the field device, wherein the user device is communicatively coupled to the field device using out of band access; selecting an operating mode of the user device; in response to selecting a first operating mode, providing configuration data from the user device to the field device using the out of band access to configure the field device; and in response to selecting a second operating mode, providing provisioning data from the user device to the field device using the out of band access to provision the field device onto a wireless network; wherein the out of band access to the field device is restricted by a network manager after the field device is connected to the wireless network to prevent unwanted configuration or monitoring of the field device by the user device without network authorization.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field device is coupled to an adapter that is configured to provide a wireless communication capability to the field device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the operating mode comprises selecting one of multiple applications executed by the user device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the applications comprise a configuration application and a provisioning application.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein: the first operating mode is selected in response to invoking execution of the configuration application; and the second operating mode is selected in response to invoking execution of the provisioning application.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the configuration data and providing the provisioning data comprise: communicating the provisioning data and the configuration data to the field device through an out-of-band communication interface.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the out-of-band communication interface comprises one of: a direct wired interface and an infrared interface.
8. An apparatus comprising: an interface configured to communicate with a field device in an industrial control system, wherein the interface is configured to communicate with the field device using out of band access; and a controller configured to: in a first operating mode, initiate communication of configuration data to the field device using the out of band access to configure the field device; and in a second operating mode, initiate communication of provisioning data to the field device using the out of band access to provision the field device onto a wireless network; wherein the out of band access to the field device is restricted by a network manager after the field device is connected to the wireless network to prevent unwanted configuration or monitoring of the field device by the apparatus without network authorization.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the interface is configured to communicate with an adapter coupled to the field device, the adapter configured to provide a wireless communication capability to the field device.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to select one of the operating modes by selecting one of multiple applications for execution.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the applications comprise a configuration application and a provisioning application.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein: the controller is configured to select the first operating mode in response to invoking execution of the configuration application; and the controller is configured to select the second operating mode in response to invoking execution of the provisioning application.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the interface comprises an out-of-band communication interface.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the out-of-band communication interface comprises one of: a direct wired interface and an infrared interface.
15. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to execute at least one field device protocol interface object that interfaces the field device to the wireless network.
16. A system comprising: a field device in an industrial control system; and a user device configured to configure and provision the field device, the user device comprising: an interface configured to communicate with the field device, wherein the interface is configured to communicate with the field device using out of band access; and a controller configured to: in a first operating mode, communication of configuration data to the field device using the out of band access to configure the field device; and in a second operating mode, initiate communication of provisioning data to the field device using the out of band access to provision the field device onto a wireless network; wherein the out of band access to the field device is restricted by a network manager after the field device is connected to the wireless network to prevent unwanted configuration or monitoring of the field device by the user device without network authorization.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the field device is coupled to an adapter that is configured to provide a wireless communication capability to the field device.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to select one of the operating modes by selecting one of multiple applications for execution.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein: the applications comprise a configuration application and a provisioning application; the controller is configured to select the first operating mode in response to invoking execution of the configuration application; and the controller is configured to select the second operating mode in response to invoking execution of the provisioning application.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the interface comprises an out-of-band communication interface, the out-of-band communication interface comprising one of: a direct wired interface and an infrared interface.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the user device executes multiple configuration applications operable to configure different types of field devices using different field device application protocols; and provisioning the field device onto the wireless network is independent of one or more protocols or methods used by a specified one of the configuration applications to configure the field device.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the operating mode comprises receiving a selection of the operating mode from a user.
23. A method comprising: communicatively coupling a field device in an industrial control system to a user device, wherein the field device is communicatively coupled to the user device using out of band access; when the user device is operating in a first operating mode, receiving configuration data from the user device at the field device using the out of band access to configure the field device; and when the user device is operating in a second operating mode, receiving provisioning data from the user device at the field device using the out of band access to provision the field device onto a wireless network; wherein the out of band access to the field device is restricted by a network manager after the field device is connected to the wireless network to prevent unwanted configuration or monitoring of the field device by the user device without network authorization.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the field device comprises at least one of a sensor and an actuator in the industrial control system.
25. An apparatus comprising a field device that includes: an interface configured to communicate with a user device in an industrial control system, wherein the interface is configured to communicate with the user device using out of band access; and a controller configured to: when the user device is operating in a first operating mode, receive configuration data from the user device using the out of band access to configure the field device; and when the user device is operating in a second operating mode, receive provisioning data from the user device using the out of band access to provision the field device onto a wireless network; wherein the out of band access to the field device is restricted by a network manager after the field device is connected to the wireless network to prevent unwanted configuration or monitoring of the field device by the user device without network authorization.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the field device further comprises: circuitry configured to perform at least one industrial control or automation function in the industrial control system.
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January 20, 2012
August 2, 2016
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